State Lawmakers To Study Homebrewing Bill

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HUNTSVILLE, Ala.(WHNT)-State lawmakers will review a bill that seeks to give Alabama residents the right to brew certain alcoholic beverages in their own home.

State Rep. Mac McCutcheon (R-Huntsville) is sponsoring House Bill 9, also known as the Alabama Home Brewing Act. If passed, homebrewers could make up to 15 gallons of their own beer, wine, cider or mead every three months. The proposed law would allow homebrewing for personal consumption only.

Forty-eight other states have already legalized homebrewing, leaving Alabama and Mississippi as the sole outliers. McCutcheon sponsored a similar bill last year, and said the legislation is long overdue.

"We have many, many people in this state that like to homebrew," said Rep. McCutcheon. "There's a lot of interest in this, and this is a hobby for a lot of people...This is a good bill for property rights and individual rights."

Last year's homebrewing bill passed the Alabama House, despite a filibuster attempt by a segment of Republicans who said they opposed the legislation on religious grounds. But the bill stalled in the Senate due to a backlog of other bills.

There are a few provisions in House Bill 9 that would prevent homebrewing in some cases. Homeowners who live in "dry" cities or counties would not be allowed to brew, with convicted felons also prohibited. The bill also specifically prohibits the production of stronger types of alcohol, including bourbon, whiskey and vodka.